Unchained Melody by CayStar
by diorrobcontest
Summary: A misunderstanding and broken trust send Jasper running. Edward knows he overreacted, but will that realization come too late? "A long, lonely time" Slash


**Dior Rob Contest**

**Title:** Unchained Melody

**Summary:** A misunderstanding and broken trust send Jasper running. Edward knows he overreacted, but will that realization come too late? "A long, lonely time" Slash

**Pairing:** Edward/Jasper

**Rating:** M

**Prompt used:** #20, #42, and #44

* * *

Why?

Why did I let him go?

I can't believe I just let four years walk right out the door, and I didn't even fight for him. What's wrong with me?

Thinking about him, I can't help but remember the day we met. The day my world shifted on its axis and my priorities all changed.

I had just moved back to Seattle after graduating from Dartmouth, and I was walking around the neighborhood near my apartment trying to familiarize myself with my new surroundings. I found a great deal on the open loft space, and I decided to look for things to fill it.

I wandered into his music store planning to find a small keyboard that would tide me over, but instead I found so much more than I was looking for.

~oOo~

_The atmosphere of the store instantly set me at ease. There were band posters from every decade and every style of music one could think of. I smiled appreciatively as I took in the eclectic design, and found myself drawn to an old upright piano tucked into the back corner._

_The dark wood was imposing, yet it held an air of kinship that almost commanded me to play it. I found myself testing chords, and with a wry glance at the Righteous Brothers poster hanging to my left, I began to play the familiar melody._

_I felt someone watching but soon lost myself in my playing. I missed a few notes when his honeyed voice chimed in on the chorus, "Oh, my love, my darlin', I've hungered for your touch."_

_My cock twitched in my jeans when he practically growled the word hunger. I dropped my hands and turned to see the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. His long blonde curls were even messier than my normal disarray, and his blue eyes twinkled with mischief and desire. "Hey there, I'm Jasper Whitlock."_

~oOo~

After that day, we were inseparable. We fit into each other's lives like missing puzzle pieces. His store was right around the block from my apartment, and he lived in a small loft space just above it. We had a whirlwind romance, going out on our first date the night after we met.

He teased me mercilessly that night, claiming he was too much of a gentleman to put out on a first date, but we did pretty much everything else we could apart from sex. He played my body like he played his guitar- confidently, sensually, and just like I liked it.

I open my eyes and see that dawn has broken, and for once it looks like it's not cloudy. The diffused morning light spills over my shoulder and I wonder how he stands it each morning. Yes, I admit to lying on his side of the bed in a pathetic attempt to feel closer to him. I realize he must block the sun from my face when it makes its rare appearance.

Thoughts of Jasper and morning bring my lonely cock to life; it doesn't know he's gone. I glance at the white sheets, still rumpled from our last tryst, holding both our scents, mingled and mixed as they always should be.

As I turn my head and press my nose to his pillow, my hand moves of its own volition down to the bottom of my wrinkled t-shirt to hover over the button of my favorite jeans. I close my eyes as my fingers brush the sensitive skin of my lower stomach, brushing through the light trail of hair that Jasper always plays with.

With my eyes closed and his scent surrounding me, I can almost imagine that it's his hands touching me, as he has so many times before.

~oOo~

_"What do you want, baby? You want my hands on you? Touching your cock like this?" He's teasing me now, sliding those long, calloused fingers down my happy trail, working me up even more than I already was._

_We left the movies early because he couldn't keep his hands off me, and I wasn't doing much better. It was our anniversary, one year since the day we met and began our relationship. Since we never could agree when we actually became a couple, we decided we would count from the moment our eyes met. Jasper joked that he loved me from the first time he saw my ass on that piano bench._

_We had been together a month when I worked up the nerve to ask him to move in with me, and he asked what took me so long. He surprised me by showing up with a moving truck, but I had to sit down when I saw what was inside it._

_Along with Jasper's clothes, and more shoes and boots than any man has a right to own, gay or not, was something just for me. A huge framed painting was leaned up against the back of my piano. "I told you I want you to play for me- naked," he purred in my ear. "I know exactly where it should go."_

_It took most of the day, but my piano was finally in its place of honor, right next to our bed. Jasper made a big show of moving his pillow over until he had the perfect view from his side of the bed. We passed many peaceful evenings with me playing and him writing. Of course, we also had many more interesting evenings where my playing was done in the nude and as a teasing form of foreplay._

_Jasper's hand on my cock brought me back to the present, and I realized he had already unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them off, all without my notice. He was grinning at me from between my legs, those gorgeous blue eyes of his dark with lust. "You payin' attention now, Eddie?" he grinned, his rough hand slowly fisting my cock. I shivered in desire as his mouth engulfed me-_

~oOo~

"Fuck! Jasper!" As I empty into my hand I realize that Jasper still isn't here. My fantasy was so real I didn't even notice my own soft hand was in Jasper's place. I sit up slowly, breath heaving as I try to calm myself after my intense release.

I use my shirt to clean myself up and decide I have to get out of this apartment. He left, and he clearly isn't coming home, and I just might lose my mind if I sit here waiting for him.

Standing slowly, I toss my shirt in the hamper and look around for something else to wear. A piece of black fabric catches my eye from under the edge of the bed, and I bend over to see one of Jasper's t-shirts wadded up on the floor. Bringing it to my nose, I inhale the scent of his cologne and Jasper.

I pull on the shirt and finally find the shoes I kicked off last night when we got home. They are my black shiny dress shoes that I wore to that stupid charity dinner that ruined everything. I'd rather put on my sneakers, but I don't think I can bear to see our closet- his closet- just yet. I know he packed a bag, but I don't want to see what's missing.

I sit on the end of the bed, propping my feet on the low platform to tie my shoes. I lower my head to rest on my arms when I look at our bed. When I first moved in, all I had was a mattress on the floor. Jasper and I went shopping, and I swear we looked at every furniture store in the city before we found this one.

The dark wood of the platform complements my piano, and my mom bought us curtains to match our white bedding for the huge windows behind the bed. We found so many uses for the low platform and mattress; our knees had a lot of miles on them.

Thinking of my mom reminds me of Jasper's momma, the only family he has contact with anymore. I wonder if he has called her already to tell her that he left me.

~oOo~  
_"Tell me about your childhood, Jas. I know you don't like to talk about it, but I need some kind of background before your mother gets here," I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him as I broached the difficult subject he loves to avoid. I know bits and pieces, but he's never told me specifically about his life growing up in Texas._

_Jasper sighed, glancing up at me from where his head was cradled in my lap. He curled around me further and his hand began to trace circles on my thigh, occasionally slipping under the edge of my black boxer briefs._

_"I didn't grow up with your parents, that's for sure. Sometimes I don't think you realize just how good you had things, Eddie. Not every parent is as accepting as Carlisle and Esme," he sighed again, sad eyes catching mine once more. "I was so scared of my father that I wouldn't even look at another guy until I came up here for college._

_"Growing up, I heard every slur my dad could think of whenever someone homosexual dared to cross his path. I'm sure there are people down there who aren't quite as bigoted as he is, but I basically had it ingrained in my head my entire life that no son of his would ever like another man._

_"I had a steady girlfriend in high school, but I only dated her because my friends all pushed her on me. Maria was... well, I don't like to admit it, but she was abusive. She constantly talked down to me and she would hit me a lot as well. When I told her I was moving here to attend U-Dub, she pulled a baseball bat on me and ended up breaking two of my ribs and giving me a concussion. Peter wanted me to press charges, but that would never happen."_

_I already knew some of this, but he had never gone into that much detail before. I found myself wanting to send Alice to Texas to sic her on the psychotic little bitch. Maria better hope I never meet her in person._

_"Peter was my best friend growing up, and when we moved to Washington he told me he had to confess something. He told me he was gay, and had no intention of hiding in the closet when we started school._

_"We ended up experimenting with each other, sort of a friends with benefits thing, but it was never really romantic between us. We just leaned on each other, played wingman when we went to clubs, and watched each other's backs._

_"When my parents came up for graduation, they could instantly see the changes in Peter. He's a bit flamboyant, you see. Dad started in with the homophobic insults and for some reason I finally snapped. I told him that anything he said to Peter he was saying to me as well._

_"He backhanded me, disowned me, told me he no longer had a son, pretty much what I expected," his voice was sad, and I wrapped my arms around my love, pulling him closer to me. "Momma has called me and sent me letters a few times, but this is the first time she's come to see me. She said she won't let Dad push her around anymore, but I guess we'll see when she gets here."_

_I held him while he cried, then helped him clean up in the shower before we needed to drive to the airport. He stood quietly while I dried him off and fixed his hair, letting me take care of him for once._

_His hands were shaking as we waited for his mother to get off her plane. He paced back and forth until I pulled him into my arms, running my hands over his back to soothe him. I was still hugging him tightly when I saw a small woman with Jasper's hair and eyes looking at us and crying._

_When I turned him around, he barely got the word out, "Momma?"_

_She moved faster than I would have guessed and threw her tiny body into his arms. "Oh, Jasper! I've missed you baby! I missed you so much!"_

_I smiled as they hugged and cried, waiting patiently for my introduction. She finally pulled back to look at me and said, "Now, Jas, tell me who this nice young man is."_

~oOo~

Peter. He's the whole root of our problems. I thought he was just Jasper's friend, but I saw the way he watched my boy last night. Jas had been drawing away from me since Christmas, spending more time at his store late at night, or working in his studio at his old apartment upstairs.

He never wanted me with him during those times, and my resentment slowly built with each evening I spent alone. I couldn't put my finger on what had changed, but our relationship was definitely on rocky ground.

Just yesterday he was all loving and affectionate, taking me right here on this bed before he would let me dress for the evening. I began to hope that things were looking up as we set off for the event with my parents and Dad's medical board. My sister Alice was bringing her boyfriend, and my big brother Emmett would be there with his wife, Bella.

Bella was the only person I had confided my worries, and she is one of my dearest friends. She told me I needed to talk to Jasper about my concerns, but I'm not sure now if that would have even helped. I was clearly missing information from the beginning.

We had been at the dinner for about an hour when I realized Jasper was no longer at my side. Glancing around, I saw him just as Peter leaned over to whisper in his ear, resting his hand possessively on my boyfriend's hip.

My vision was tinted in red as I strode over to grab Jasper's arm. He looked shocked that I caught him, but his temper quickly flared when I hauled him out into the hallway. "What the hell is your problem, Edward? You're hurting my arm!"

I instantly released him when he said that, but I saw Peter watching me with a scowl on his face. Please, as if I would ever hurt Jasper.

Jasper claimed he had no idea what I was talking about when I accused him of seeing Peter behind my back. I told him if that's who he wanted then he should have just told me, instead of stringing me along for four years and making me think we had a future.

His eyes were steel blue as he glared at me in anger. He didn't say a word as we drove home, and I was shocked when Peter followed us there. He stood by his car while Jasper walked upstairs and packed, walking right out the door without a word. Even today I can't grasp the concept that the man I love has left me for someone else.

I finally push up from the bed and start to walk out the same door, but I don't get any further than the piano. My piano is the biggest physical representation of Jasper's love that I have, and I can't resist sitting on the bench to run my fingers over the keys.

I know I'm pouting as I lean my chin on my hand, but I think I've earned that right after last night. He hasn't called, and he's clearly not coming back.

My fingers pick out the melody as I softly sing,

"Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered for your touch  
A long, lonely time"

Tears drip down my nose and I wipe them away angrily as my voice gets louder,

"And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine?"

I whirl in shock when another voice joins me on the last line. Jasper's soft drawl sounds pleading as he repeats, "Are you still mine?"

I'm sure my mouth is hanging open and my eyes are popping out my head; he's here. He's actually here! He takes a careful step closer, that hand I love so much reaching for me as he sings, "I need your love..."

His red-rimmed eyes and disheveled appearance finally register, and I blurt out, "What are you doing here?"

I regret my words almost instantly when his face falls and he turns away from me. "Eddie, I... I'm sorry, I'll go if you want, I just-"

Forgetting our fight, my accusations, and my long, lonely night, I pull him into my arms and we both sigh with relief at the contact. I need his love too. "Please don't go, Jas. That came out wrong. Please, can we talk?"

I feel his nod where his face is buried against my neck, and he sniffles as he pulls back to look at me. "I'm sorry I left, Eddie. I should have talked to you instead of letting my temper take over. I swear I'm not seeing Peter, I would never cheat on you!"

The shame that washes over me at his words is enough to drop me to my knees. I can hear the sincerity in his voice, and I realize that I never gave him the chance to deny it last night. Even worse, I put Peter in protection mode when I grabbed Jasper so roughly, something I know I should have never done.

"Oh, love, I'm sorry too! I've been so uptight lately and I thought you were pulling away from me. I saw you with him, and I guess I misinterpreted things." I looked up into his teary blue eyes and pulled his hands to my lips, "I am so sorry I put my hands on you in anger. Please tell me I didn't hurt you, I could never live with myself if I did."

He hauls me up and flexes his bicep with that gorgeous dimpled smile, "You think your skinny ass can hurt me, baby? Please. I know you didn't mean it. Now, come here. We need to talk."

I choke down my apprehension at his words. He's not leaving me, we just need to talk. That's all. We sit side by side on the bed, holding hands with our knees touching as we turn to face each other. Jasper's eyes are serious as he watches me, searching for something.

He takes a deep breath and squeezes my fingers with his larger, rougher ones. "Eddie, I'm sorry if you feel that I've been distant lately. The truth is, I had a project I was working on, and I guess I let it consume my thoughts more than usual.

"I know you haven't said anything lately, but you were so excited when the marriage law was passed back in December. I was planning to wait for our anniversary, but I'm afraid I almost waited too long."

My heart is in my throat and I couldn't have spoken if he begged me to. I watch like I'm in a dream as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a simple black ring box. He smiles softly as he catches my eye, and nods once.

"Edward, you are the love of my life. You are the missing piece to my soul; you complete me. As our song says, 'I need your love.' Eddie, I love you with all my heart, will you make me the happiest man on earth and agree to marry me?"

My eyes fall to the ring box in his hand, and I instantly recognize Peter's work. This is what Jasper has been working on? What Peter was whispering about? God, I really am the world's biggest ass.

I can barely see through my tears, but I try to smile and nod, as I still can't get words past the lump in my throat. Jasper is all bright eyes and teeth as he grins and pulls me in for a teary, snotty kiss.

My emotions are overloaded, and I can't believe how close I came to driving him away over a stupid misunderstanding. I swear now that I will never let anyone or anything else come between us, and I will talk to him whenever I'm unsure.

We cling to each other for several minutes, just soaking up the lost time. I have no intention of letting him out of my sight anytime in the near future. He finally pulls back just far enough to pull out the rings and show me his design.

The platinum bands are wide, but not bulky. Each band is identical, but I can clearly see which ring is mine. His fingers are thicker than mine, and he loves that my ring size is so much smaller than his. It's the only thing smaller about me though...

Jasper tells me how he drew the designs himself, and commissioned Peter to make the rings. Each band is engraved with a subtle chain pattern, interspersed with music notes. I see his concept instantly- it's our song. "Unchained Melody?" I smirk, remembering the day he walked into my life.

Slipping the rings on, he pushes me back on the bed and covers my body with his slightly larger one, and I relish the feel of his weight pressing me down. "From unchained melody to a ball and chain. We've come a long way, baby," he leans down to kiss my lips, and it's so much better than my fantasy from earlier.

He takes his time undressing us, worshipping my body as he works his way down. I grin sheepishly when he realizes I'm wearing his shirt, but he just smiles and shakes his head.

His hands trace every square inch of my body, memorizing each dip and plane until I'm writhing beneath him, begging. "Please, Jasper! Now! Fuck me now!"

When he doesn't move, I open my eyes to see him looking down at me tenderly. "I'm not gonna fuck you, Eddie. I'm gonna make love to my fiancé."

He is exquisitely gentle as he prepares me, and I can't hold back a tear when we are finally joined as one. He holds me tightly as he moves inside me, groaning my name as we climax together.

"I'll never let you go, Jas. Never again. I love you," I whisper, pressing kisses against his neck.

He raises up enough to look at my face and smiles, "I won't leave ya, Eddie. If I do, just remember our song- 'I'll be coming home, wait for me.'"

* * *

_A/N: I do not own "Unchained Melody"  
lyrics by Hy Zaret  
music by Alex North_

* * *

**Hosts Note: Please leave the author some love by submitting a review. If you do happen to know an authors identity, please do not hint to this in your review as this can compromise anonymity and lead to disqualification. _  
_**


End file.
